30 Things That Were Designed Without Women In Mind That Are Due For An Upgrade
Depending on which part of the demographic you happen to be, you perhaps haven’t noticed that the vast majority of things are either designed with you in mind or for an entirely different kind of human. We’re talking, of course, about gendered design.
Someone asked “What female-centric design do you want to see in architecture and design?” and women shared their best ideas. From simple things like car headrests to literally medical procedures, women often get the short end of the stick. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, and be sure to share your thoughts below.
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You should not be able to look up through any floor or stair surface to look up anyone's clothing in any public environment where some people may be wearing dresses/skirts instead of trousers. Any design that's a built-in creep magnet to look up people's clothes annoys me greatly.
I can't think of a single argument for glass ceilings/floors. As for stairs with no backs, those things are dangerous and should be banned anyway.
My seatbelt constantly slides up due to my breasts. I so often worry about getting decapitated by my seatbelt.
Pockets.
That pic is a very good representation of that. Whoooop, phone drops out and down the mountain. I switched to only using pants with zipper pockets because of that
Depending on who you are, it can be pretty hard to actually notice unless you have experienced it or have been told to look for it. Take the average gendered public bathroom. The male section will inevitably have a whole row or two of urinals, which makes it have significantly more capacity.
So while the female and male bathrooms might be of the same square footage, the male version can accommodate significantly more people doing their business. This is a classic case of “equal space” not actually being equal.
Feminine products should be provided for free
in public restrooms anywhere that toilet paper is provided. Dispensers should be a normal part of restroom design, like toilet paper holders.
I almost always have a tampon on me, but of course, the one time I don’t, I start my period days early while at a museum with no re-entry. Their restroom surprisingly had a tampon machine that required quarters; and I surprisingly actually had a quarter on me. I was like, “wow this is actually my lucky day”. Then guess what? The tampon machine ate my quarter and gave me nothing. Happily the museum staff provided me with a tampon when I told them what happened, but that was after having to leave the resteoom with toilet paper shoved in my pants.
So ever since then, I’m wondering why feminine products aren’t available and stocked like toilet paper in restrooms. It’s a basic hygiene issue and most women will only use the free stuff in an emergency anyway.
Several Swiss universities and gymnasiums have actually started doing that. It's not wide spread yet, but a nice start
Same in Scotland. In fact, I noticed that a few public toilets are starting to stock them too.
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I grew up with 3 sisters. I always carry a couple of tampons and pads. I've given them out less than a handful of times in the ~30 years since I've been doing it, but the initial surprise of a guy carrying them is quickly overshadowed by appreciation.
Even if they're not free, they should at least be purchasable in an easier way. (Hey, now that I'm thinking about it, could tampons and pads be subsidized by ads? Maybe they can be provided free and the packaging is ads? I feel like this idea probably won't work, but if you think it can, steal it.)
Especially in schools where young women dependent on others to provide these things for them might not always have access to them. I can't count the number of times I've had to text a friend before school and ask them to bring supplies because I couldn't afford to get them and neither could my mother
In New Zealand public schools they are provided free in all ladies bathrooms. It removes the period poverty non-attendance
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The tricky part with this is they will get stolen. Tampons and pads are expensive so I'm sure some women will take multiple.
If they were widely available for free this would not happen.
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There's a new thing in Illinois (maybe elsewhere, too?) where schools are required to provide period supplies free-of-charge. My library director liked that idea so much that we, too, now have them. First week they were available somebody took all the supplies, unwrapped them, and stuffed them in the toilet. Nice.
Yup, if they're available, someone will take them or use them for mischief. Guaranteed. Some people are saying if they are free, no one will take them but I disagree. People will steal and make trouble. They just do.
Load More Replies... Unfortunately I see people taking advantage of this opportunity to take all the products and not just one. That’s society for you.
If they were freely available in every public restroom nobody would feel the need to take more than what they need.
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The university I work at gives out free kits to students from time to time, which is great. Unfortunately, the main issue with stocking bathrooms with free products is cost. While most people don't regularly put rolls of toilet paper in their bag because of the size, people would stuff smaller free products in their bag to take home. So I think the last sentence of this post is not quite accurate.
We keep a large box full of varied sizes in the restroom in our shop. It's stocked for staff AND customers.
i completely agree with this its normal part of being a woman it shouldnt be something they need to pay for
My two previous workplaces in the US had free products for their female employees
The high school (CA) where I work started providing this for free about a year ago, both pads and tampons in the female restrooms.
I think it's a decent idea. I'm sure we have all been low here and there. The problem is there are going to be people who take more than their fair share, leaving somebody who needed the product now without any options. In addition, somebody would still need to pay to have the pads stocked. I remember going to the clinic and after an hour I had needed a pad - I was completely unprepared. I asked a staff member for one and they said no, they "didn't carry" pads or tampons. I was confused, and said this was a hospital, they should absolutely be stocked, and even then, I see three women behind the counter they could ask. Eventually they found one from a female nurse and I received a condescending conversation about how they didn't have to provide me with a pad. So I snapped back if they just wanted me to bleed in the waiting room of the clinic next time and the male nurse made a face. I was there for the flu or something, unbelievable.
They used to be available in dispensers in a lot of places back in the 80s, along with condom vending machines in mens rooms. They weren't free, but they were low cost and available. People would trash the dispensers though and steal the items either to use or to flush down toilets causing problems. Its a good idea in theory though. If we really want to make a change re pads and tampons though, maybe we should encourage people to switch to the very good alternatives that are available these days that are reusable, like period panties, cups and washable pads. A much better choice imo.
Yes!. I remember seeing dispensers EVERYWHERE in the 70's and 80's. In schools, restaurants, clubs/bars, even public toilets like parks and beaches. People were destroying/vandalizing them leaving them useless. Costs too much to constantly fix/replace them. THIS is why we can't have nice things.
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A couple years ago they started putting machines in my school’s bathrooms. Idk about other school districts, but the elementary, middle school, and high school all have free tampon & pad dispensers in all girls bathrooms. I thought it was really cool and I don’t know why it wasn’t a thing before
A student group at my college has started leaving baskets of feminine goodies in the ladies' rooms 👍
Ugh similar thing happened to me yesterday. Luckily my flow was light and I was wearing underwear that’s designed to prevent leakage, so I was fine until I got home. Still it’s irritating that none of the bathrooms at my school have pad/tampon dispensers
Our state just approved to provide free feminine products in all government buildings and the comments section in some of the local new sites exploded with men saying tax dollars shouldn't be used for things that half the population will have no use for. It was ridiculous on many levels. For one, it not as if everything tax paid is used by the entire population anyway. Someone posted a question of how they would feel if all the women made sure that their tax dollars stopped paying for all the urinal cakes in the government buildings.... because that's something only half the population benefits from. Strangely nobody answered.
Most restrooms the toilet paper is locked in place to keep from being stolen. Because you know if it's "free" it will be taken........all of it!!!
I work at a university and thankfully the student affairs division created a period poverty fund that supplies period products to many on-campus locations with pads, tampons, and liners in baskets in every bathroom.
One of the few people-forward things at my job site. Even in the men's room for trans men.
sure, but most people would just steal them. unless, they were free anywhere.
The university I attend in Boston, has free menstrual products in dispensers in all the women and unisex bathrooms, I've been in.
Scotland is the first country to provide free menstrual products in public spaces under the "Period Products Act."
Our university here in Michigan does provide free feminine products in university building restrooms.
Our toilets at work have dispensers for free pads and tampons, but only in the staff areas!
Your local department of health likely already hands those out for free. :)
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Why? Is it even anyone's responsibility to provide free toilet paper? I mean seriously...
It is one of the things that is generally expected in public spaces in the US. If it is in a retail or restaurant establishment it is probably included in the cost of doing business.
Load More Replies... No person who mensturates should ever have to experience the humiliation and discomfort of not being able to afford menstrual products. Period poverty is a very real thing, and oftentimes there is a pink tax on feminine products. Period poverty means that people don't have access to affordable menstrual products, hygiene facilities, and education about menstruation. According to Harvard Public Health, it affects around 2 in 5 people in the US alone.
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Crash test dummies with women's body types (including ones representing pregnancies) used for automotive testing, please! I recall reading that women are more likely to sustain serious injuries when airbags go off, than they are from the initial vehicle accident.
Breast holes in massage tables 🙏.
I... I never thought about that before. But now it just makes sense. I think an indentation of sorts would be better, to help support the weight of those with larger breasts. Or maybe little titty hammocks...
Even worse, oftentimes items specifically intended for women end up being designed by men. These fall into two categories, items where the designer simply assumes a woman’s body is basically identical to a man's or the designer simply follows trends and fads. In both cases, the product ends up being less functional than it should be.
Can we please get boxes or even just a trash can for period product disposal in all unisex bathrooms. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to awkwardly walk out with a wrapped up pad to track down a trash can only to go back to wash my hands again. I can’t even begin to imagine how bad it is for people who use tampons regularly….
It's a nightmare for people who use tampons regularly. It's not like you can just shove it in your pocket!
Can I call the development of medical solutions "designing"? (I'm gonna.)
I want the design of medical solutions (anything from medicine to braces to even first aid courses or whatever) to be more inclusive for women. Many drugs are initially not tested on women, which can lead to them not discovering positive effects that the meds have on women but not men. The symptoms for heart attacks are different for women, so more women don't get the proper help for a heart attack. It's such a dark side of inequality.
The only stage d***s are not tested on women is in a first-in-human study, which usually involves a handfull of patients and is a one time thing for each d**g. Any d**g that pass the clinical trials for approval must have been tested in thousands of patients and have a balance of male and female (unless the disease is sex-specific). This hasn't been true for decades. Source : me, working in clinical trials since 2007.
I would love to see purse or bag hooks mounted on the bathroom vanities in public restrooms. Every once in a while I find them, but for the most part, they are non-existent. I hate putting my purse on the floor anywhere in a bathroom but the countertops are usually too wet or small to hold bags while I’m washing my hands.
It's not much, or clean, but usually you can hang them at the door k**b/handle. Better than the floor at least
In general, this issue can seem baffling at times. After all, most of us would assume that people who are somewhat different from us have different needs, expectations, and assumptions. This is perhaps why it’s always good to get a second (or even third) opinion whenever you can, you might just learn something new.
This might seem shallow, I don't know, but I would really love cute shoes for women with big feet. They seriously don't exist. If they do, I've not been able to find them.
I swear shoe manufacturers think all women have small, slender, dainty little feet. I know I am not the only chick with long, wide feet.
I wear a men's size 11 wide width sneaker. Yeah......my feet are huge. So, that roughly translates to a women's size 13. Good luck finding a cute shoe or stylish dress boots in that size. I even started looking at shoes for drag queens -- which I can usually find the size I need but unfortunately not the style I want.
I switched to men's shoes because of that. Then, a friend showed me an LGBTQ+ shop that is great because it has all sorts of clothes in unisex so both men and women can fit into them. I can only recommend this, finally dresses with real pockets and huge shoes!
Safety equipment is so rough. We couldn't find a full-face respirator that fit half our team at work because they're small women. Would also love curvy work pants and some nitrile gloves made for short, fat fingers, please.
It's SO hard to find real work and safety clothes for women. There are "work boots" that are just cheap fashion shoes made to look like work boots. There are "cargo pants" with decorative pockets and fake hammer loops. But real steel-toed non-slip boots? Real carpenters' pants? Very hard to find, and very expensive.
Better head rests in cars. Idk how many times I’ve sat down and my head can’t sit straight. The head rest is angled forward and down, so my height doesn’t work (5’4”) then add in a pony tail and I can’t actually use the seat.. I have to use the steering wheel (that I’m already so close to) to pull myself away from the seat and the floor to push my butt backwards. The entire time. I now I have a van, sooooo much better. I’ve passed on buying vehicles that had horrible head rests and my husband got confused because it was comfortable for him. He liked the car. I said nope. I can’t drive that safely.
The height of the headrest is an issue in a lot of cases (my tiny misses barely reaches it), but I feel that more information about the proper use of a headrest is needed for everyone: The top of the headrest must come up to at least the top of your ears—preferably to the top of your head—and be within two to four inches of the back of your head. Angled head rests should have the thickest part positioned at the top of your ears. If you wear a ponytail or bun at the back of the head you should remove it when driving, as it would increase your chances of neck injury during an impact. A cushion or booster should be used if required.
Seatbelts designed for women’s bodies would be great, actually.
Reasonable business bags. I have to carry 1-2 laptops and the backpack/ trolly is my office. Most business backpacks, bags and trolleys are designed for men. The backpack's straps are too wide for my shoulders and give me back pain. The Trolley is usually quite big and weirdly constructed, so I can't carry it well when necessary. It's for wider shoulders and more muscled arms and no hips, so it will bump against my hips and legs all the time when I use the handle or shoulder strap. That's not fun with 5-8kg.
Also, white blouses. Don't make them see through, thankyouverymuch.
I agree with the bag (if you have big balloons, they will get squashed!), but these trolleys are a nuisance to everyone. Men, women, children and everyone in between, the trolleys see all of us as their sworn enemies
This is a lot more trivial than what others have suggested, but, tools and implements. I'd like secateurs designed for my small hands and chef's cleavers made with the same philosophy. Phones I can hold comfortably, and drills that are an appropriate size. I want these things to made for AFAB users, not simply coloured pink.
There are definite safety benefits derived from being able to properly grip and handle a tool, too.
More bicycles or cycling bikes with wider seats. I love biking, but it always hurts. I know that you can buy a seat that is wider and will cater to a woman's pelvis, but that doesn't always speak to Spin classes, and they're an extra expense on top of already expensive bicycles. I'd love accessible fitness. It could have made such a difference earlier in my life.
Women’s clothes that come in classic colors or patterns, use decent fabric, and have a classic fit. It’s impossible to buy clothes. If you like the color, it’s made with some horrible fabric. Or it has a weird trendy fit. No, I don’t actually want a mustard color
polyester crop top shirt, thanks.
Bathrooms and changing rooms are going to gender neutral. Which is a nice idea, but I think this guy in my building uses it to jerk off, which is gross. You’ve been hogging the bathroom for 20 minutes and stroll out with the Victoria Secret catalog.
Pretty sure the other guys in the block also don't like the ... forgive me the joke, jerk-off jerk.
Cargo style utility trousers like they sell in the men's area of Walmart for like 20 dollars... but for women. I cannot find anything similar for women unless I want to spend 80 dollars per pair. I mean seriously, I can find dozens of cargo LEGGINGS for women before I find a decent pair of real cargos.
Anything and everything to be built for female bodies, not to be confused with miniaturized male bodies.
Shoes. Car seats. Sporting equipment. Tools. Working spaces. Safety equipment. Medications and medical procedures.
I went with my team for a customer visit recently and they gave us access badges with clips. The men clipped them to their suit jackets. The women among us in sweaters and blouses had to figure out where tf to clip them. Most companies hand out breakaway lanyards these days, which work for folks in any type of clothing. Just the most recent irritant I experienced where it was obvious women were not considered in their customer visit process development.
Spaces for comfortable, hygienic breastfeeding that are not bathrooms. Should have comfortable seating, sinks, waste bins, changing tables, and hooks for hanging bags and coats, as well as counter space for laying out pump parts.
Women are statistically more likely to be caring for young children in public so more spaces that are friendly to young children, like enclosed indoor play areas at libraries, coffee shops, etc. Features like safety barriers that do not have wide gaps, covered outlets, and safe window coverings make me feel more at ease with my kids in public.
changing stations in mens bathrooms as well what if a dad is out with his kiddo on his own how is he supposed to change them
Would love to be able to reach all of my kitchen cabinets without having to completely renovate my kitchen.
I'd just want to ban all glass or metal grate catwalks and stairs in contemporary architecture. My job has me visiting conference centers, hotels and flagship office building fairly frequently and there's just so much accidential peeping tom architecture going on...
We need more stalls in public spaces. With elbow room, at least one hook for the bag, seat covers. Correct lighting, so we can see a puddle if needed. Family restrooms with a privacy closet in case it’s Dad taking the daughter, which I think is a need, and I’ve not seen that.
The blue lights are so people can't shoot themselves d***s up their veins in the stalls, not to be inconvenient. Also, from what I've seen about American architecture, the first thing you should fix is having toilet doors without giant creepy gaps.
Bathroom stalls without inch wide gaps in the doors would be amazing!
Doors that are easier to open. I'm barely 100 lbs and a lot of doors are just impossible to open for me. It was especially annoying when I worked at the office building with doors that could literally crush me. I understand some of them need to weigh a lot due to fire safety requirements, but a lot of them are just unnecessarily big.
Try combining this with being a wheelchair user! I don't even have the advantage of a stable grounding - I pull a heavy door, and I just pull myself towards it. I was even trapped inside a disabled cubicle once because of an overly-heavy self-closer. They're ridiculous.
Not cringey “Girl power yihaaa” type of stuff when it comes to Geek stuff.
When I find a cool shirt or what, it’s mostly designed for men because of the character, the color, or the anime/comic. When I look at women shirt, mostly pink or pastel color, girly heroes with cringey women empowering writing, or cute animals.
Like, I can’t appreciate a good DBZ shirts with a fight printed on it, too “male”, I better watch some Barbie or shojo girls related stuff 🥴
I want a shirt of my shape with a f*****g good fight and blood on it, please 🙌.
Sometimes the mens graphic shirts are cooler then women shirts at Walmart. And places. There a many times I bought a mens graphic shirt cause I like it so much.
We really need feminist cities or cities designed to keep women safe. More lights on streets, less alleyways, public transit that has security guards, buildings with warmer rooms or rooms with average temperatures that are comfortable to women, accessible sports stadiums, etc.
Some of these sound logic (for example, building infrastructure that doesn't allow dangerous people to hide in the shadows or behind corners), but others of these are bụ̈llshit. Acey already said that the stadium thing is weird, but the warmth of buildings? So women are comfortable? That's nonsense, and doesn't even help women at all. I for my part don't even like when a room is too warm.
Changing tables in assine places. My kids are out of diapers now, but I cringe everytime I walk into most public restrooms and see where they put the changing tables.
Like they should never be next to the hand drier those are too loud to have next to a kids head or in the entryway so everyone has to scoot around you or if their is a line you are basically changing a diaper in the middle of it .. just why, why not open the damn thing and think about the logistics before bolting it to the wall.
also, changing tables can become a bit "messy" and unhygnic. So blowing a large amount of air into that area and spreading whatever microparticles is there all over the room, might not be the best idea.
All sinks at a reachable distance from the toilet, so I can wash from period blood without having to walk to the sink like a penguin or even have to put on my pants to walk out to the sink and then walk back to the toilet. In my country there are bidets in most homes but in public bathrooms it's still very s****y. It just makes it twice as hard, specially when you use the menstrual cup.
that is a fact that has never occurred to me, I have today learned that is a issue for women.
Houses designed with space for the dealing with the amount of laundry a family gets through. In the UK there is very rarely enough space for dealing with laundry. With the energy crisis and cold weather, drying washing all over the indoors is leading to health issues caused by damp. This lack of design accommodation for laundry is almost certainly related to laundry being a traditionally female concern.
I agree. I really miss having a laundry/utility room. You shouldn't have to be rich in the UK just to be able to have a laundry/utility room.
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Ugh, some of these where just women that want things to be perfect for just them. Issues that humans have, not just women. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of things that could be designed much better with women in mind, things that would function just as good. But plenty of the ones on this list, bs..
Agree. As a 160cm male, i have many of those issues , too but i do not think the world has to be designed around me. Cabinets in the kitchen to high? Well, put them lower, sunshine. Mouse does not fit in my hand? Buy one of the other 3 million mouses (mice?) wich is good. Also, that constant whining about periods and all it life ruining problems. My god, that is not something society has to fix. By that logic everbody should get free toilet paper because everybody has to sht.
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Although some of these are legitimate issues (hello, can I get a seatbelt that doesn't constantly try and choke me?) most of these aren't female-specific but size-specific. There's no way to make everything ergonomic for everyone, there will always be outliers.
I would add conference room chairs and office furniture, at least at my office. It's all white. I don't know a lot of women who would choose that.
Some of them were important issues but others were just b!tching about how everything didn’t go exactly their way.
Load More Replies... Ugh, some of these where just women that want things to be perfect for just them. Issues that humans have, not just women. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of things that could be designed much better with women in mind, things that would function just as good. But plenty of the ones on this list, bs..
Agree. As a 160cm male, i have many of those issues , too but i do not think the world has to be designed around me. Cabinets in the kitchen to high? Well, put them lower, sunshine. Mouse does not fit in my hand? Buy one of the other 3 million mouses (mice?) wich is good. Also, that constant whining about periods and all it life ruining problems. My god, that is not something society has to fix. By that logic everbody should get free toilet paper because everybody has to sht.
Load More Replies... Although some of these are legitimate issues (hello, can I get a seatbelt that doesn't constantly try and choke me?) most of these aren't female-specific but size-specific. There's no way to make everything ergonomic for everyone, there will always be outliers.
I would add conference room chairs and office furniture, at least at my office. It's all white. I don't know a lot of women who would choose that.
Some of them were important issues but others were just b!tching about how everything didn’t go exactly their way.
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